Pakistan – US International Research and Education Network Connection

A international cooperative activity

ETEIN3 South Asia Feasibility Study – August 11, 2008 Kathmandu, Nepal

Some background on the connection

Physical connection details

The opportunity presented by this connection

The US inventor and diplomat Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”.

This project has it genesis in the US-Pakistan Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology lead by Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman of the HEC and Dr. Arden Bement of the NSF.

One objective that originated in that meeting is, now quoting directly from the report…“introduction of high speed connectivity between the two countries”.

However, one point needs to be made clearly. The primary objective of the Joint Committee Meeting was to enhance collaborations between US and Pakistan science and technology efforts. This network connection is an important mechanism for enhancing those collaborations. But, it is only a mechanism. It is now our responsibility to use this mechanism, this network connection, as a tool to enhance Pakistan-US science and technology activity.

Pakistan Network Connection

• STM1 connection between Singapore and Karachi, connecting PERN2 to the global NREN structure

• Funding split between the US-NSF and the Pakistan HEC.

• Expected to come alive 8/15• A project involving many partners

– HEC in Pakistan– NSF in the US– US Department of State– TEIN2 Project of the EC

Cooperative Activity

This project is possible because of cooperation between the Pakistan HEC, the US National Science Foundation, represented by Indiana University and the European Commission represented by the TEIN2 Project.

Without any one of these partners, the project would be impossible (or at least much more expensive).

This type of cooperative activity seems to be somewhat new, but essential in the extension of R/E networking to South Asia.

Applications and Regional Networks

Networks are not useful without applications

Regionally aggregated networks are more useful than stand alone networks

The most useful networks are those driven by applications

Regional networks driven by applications are very powerful forces in research and education and in pursing additional development funds.

Questions and comments….

Jim Williams

Indiana University

williams@indiana.edu

http://pakistan.indiana.edu

http://globalnoc.iu.edu